My husband and I went to see the movie Captain Phillips for my birthday.  He asked if I would like to go see 12 Years a Slave  http://bit.ly/1bfJ9xB or check out different movies.  When I looked at the  movie previews I knew right away I wanted to see Captain Phillips http://bit.ly/16ZMwcJ instead.  I told him that I’ve seen so many slave movies over the years I wanted to watch something different and I don’t think I ever saw a movie about piracy.   When I watch slave movies my heart aches . . . can’t say that didn’t happen while watching Captain Phillips.

I was right with his crew yelling in my head ‘Don’t go there!  Don’t get in that boat!  No!  Fight your way back to the ship!’  And my heart sank when he climbed in that lifeboat with the pirates.  But I think I understand what he was trying to do.  I don’t know the man so I can’t second guess this either.  But I can tell you I’ve heard stories from some people who had leaders who shoved someone else in front when the troops were in trouble.  And those people didn’t have respect for the leaders who threw someone else in that kind of position. There are always differing points of view in times of chaos and crises aren’t there?

“It’s a real world situation.”  is one of the lines Captain Phillips uses in telling his crew they are no longer practicing drills.

Piracy – it’s all about greed – when the ‘Pirate’ was calling his crew at one time he asked of a man in the crowd – ‘What do you have to give me?’  and the man answered “money.”  Then the pirate asks him ‘When will you give it to me?”  ‘As soon as I get it.’ says the man in the crowd.  ‘Then come on.’

The ship they hijack is full of food for poor people from the same country the pirates are from.    Sinks your heart doesn’t it?

But I was and am so amazed at the Seals and I wonder at their ability to step into situations like this and take control of situations like this.

And I wonder – did the starving people get their food and if they did do they even have a clue about who really made that possible for them in the end?

And I wonder  at the resiliency of people and how they are created to recover from events like this – whether they are like Captain Phillips or the crew or the physicians or the Seals.

I saw a post somewhere this week from a person who had served in the military who challenged an actor to sign up and serve because the actor had mentioned something about the real stress involved in war.  I’ve talked with people who had served in the military who said they hoped no one would ever have to experience the things they did.

It’s all a matter of perspective.  I think God gives to each person certain gifts and skills to be used in building up a good world – and we’re all in it together.  I think it’s good for us to appreciate the gifts and skills of other people as well as our own.  I’m grateful for those who serve in the military and for those who are able to serve in the theatre to give us even a small glimpse into other aspects of the world.

I pray for continued and continual healing for all those who suffer in body, mind or spirit no matter where they work.  For the most part I do believe that good people are overcomers – good people overcome evil and I thank God for giving the world good people!  I think about Jesus and the difference between what he wanted and still wants from his followers compared to what the pirate wanted and what all pirates want.  Jesus wants our heart – pirates want our money.